Pushing the Cause of Women in Medicine Ahead: Connecticut's Women Physicians during the First World War

At the 1918 annual meeting of the Medical Women's Society of New York State, President Emily Dunning Barringer declared, “The war has pushed the cause of the woman physician ahead many years. In a twinkling, so to speak, opportunity for development may and will come which in the ordinary progress of events would have taken long years of hard work to bring about.”1 As the quote from Barringer suggests, the war came at a critical period for medical women in the United States. Between the 1850s and the 1910s, the number of women physicians in the United States had grown from a mere handful to estimates as high as 9,000 practitioners, roughly 5–6 percent of the medical profession.2 Although a few women had attended American Medical Society meetings as members of state delegations since 1876, women were formally accepted by the AMA in 1915. By the 1910s a few women served on AMA committees, gave papers, and held offices.3 According to historian Kimberly Jensen, “the second decade of the twentieth century was a time of optimism for medical women in the United States.” Although inequality persisted, especially for women of color, Jensen states, “many medical women had great expectations that wartime needs for medical services would expand their opportunities and enhance their claims for more complete citizenship.”4Medical women made these professional advances through the creation of all-female medical schools, hospitals, clinics, and professional societies, since many medical schools and organizations remained closed to women. Women physicians also gained professional ground by emphasizing their uniquely feminine healing abilities and their natural tendencies of sympathy towards the sick.5 By the early twentieth century, however, this “separate sphere” for medical women was beginning to break apart. According to historian Ellen More, for women physicians “the outbreak of war deepened a crisis of professional culture dating at least from the turn of the century.” During the late nineteenth century, says More, women physicians were able to carve out a niche for themselves in the medical profession by using a “Victorian claim to a distinctively feminine gift for healing and primary devotion to the care of women and children.” By the early twentieth century, however, medical women were increasingly aligning themselves with the professional norms of male physicians, which emphasized rational, objective, scientific medical care over the traditionally feminine ethic of sympathy towards the sick. For these women physicians, the war offered the perfect occasion to further integrate themselves into the male-dominated medical profession.6Women physicians did not completely abandon separatism as a method of improving their status in the medical profession: the largest professional organization for women physicians—the Medical Women's National Association (MWNA, later renamed the American Medical Women's Association), was created in 1915. However, the founders of the MWNA recognized that a separate organization for women was a problematic strategy for advancing the cause of women in a male-dominated medical profession. In an article describing the creation of the MWNA entitled “Amalgamation, Not Separation,” Bertha Van Hoosen, MD, a prominent Chicago surgeon, stated the organization aimed to bring “medical women into communication with each other for their mutual advantage and to encourage social and harmonious relations within and without the profession.”7 In other words, the purpose of MWNA was to provide networking opportunities for women physicians and to serve as an advocate for medical women within the profession as a whole.This article will use the activities of Connecticut's women physicians during the First World War as a case study of the struggles and strategies of medical women during this critical period in the history of women in medicine. The number of women physicians in Connecticut was small compared with other states. Nevertheless, the period leading up to the First World War was a good one for Connecticut's women physicians. While women physicians were kept out of leadership positions in the state medical society and full professorships at Yale Medical School (although they were admitted as students in 1916), “they did receive a measure of recognition, mostly at the local level, for their very real contributions.”8 This article will explore the extent to which the Great War advanced the cause of medical women in the Nutmeg State.When the United States entered the First World War in April 1917, many women physicians were eager to join the war effort by serving in the military. At their annual meeting in June 1917, the MWNA adopted a resolution presented by the War Service Committee of the Association of Collegiate Alumnae of California that argued the “exigencies of the European war have taxed the medical resources of the countries involved to the point where the medical men serving with the troops and in base hospitals are physically exhausted.” The entry of the United States into the war also required greater numbers of physicians to serve American troops than could be supplied by the Medical Reserve Officer Corps from which military medical personnel were recruited. The resolution noted that there were between five and six women physicians of serving at and as and and there was of for of medical women in the of the The resolution recognized the of the and the to the women and the War and to that would medical women to be to the in this and during the with opportunity with medical men for as members of the of and base hospitals and and with and to the War that medical women were to the MWNA created a War Service Committee to to the services of American women physicians and in the war The MWNA War Service Committee in with the Committee of Medical Women of the of National a of women physicians in the United to out they were to serve and in at The of Women that of the women the over percent they were to in wartime In percent of male physicians were on during the The high of medical women were to serve the of physicians at this time were the primary of and other women were Connecticut in the wartime of Women women physicians were to in to to women physicians to receive in the military. women for women and men they were for military medicine. many that military would medical According to an on the of was for women to into with numbers of men from of there were few physicians were to the and of a physicians to serve for the could work for the United States as were for a of to be a at and the work as male physicians without military also did not receive did they for themselves their For women physicians, this was and of with the Medical Service Corps to serve for war women served as for the were to critical at military medical in the United States. were as were The for Connecticut not women physicians from the state as women physicians a separate and of military According to few women physicians could to their to a that would the and as would they themselves in a where they would have to from men of military an of the MWNA created a to American women physicians in an as American Women's of served as of the with Emily Dunning by time between New York and a in as The American Women's their from the Women's which had in and up hospitals in war in and In an article from the entitled of the work of Women's and other women physicians in countries was by the for and which the of all-female of women to the of their According to “the women physicians and of many are a and the of and which the of that than to by women physicians, from the of and on to the and a second to be to the Women's “The of the work of women physicians and has from into to the American for to by American women physicians. Although had to hospitals, hospitals, as they are and not American The women of that the American be for in American hospitals, the and MWNA a in each state to American Women's In this to of the prominent woman physician later served as President of 1917, the Committee of the Connecticut of held a at the in to the work of women in the state on of the war was to be one of the In that the work of women was so that “the war on the women of one Women were the work of the they were the by the men their the on the military hospitals by women physicians and by were their for the of argued that women physicians in the United States be on to the great for physicians that could not be by male that by women to serve in by men on will be a great social progress out the was to that war work would that war did to of the women and in the they will be and for the of the MWNA to up in war into with the American which was in of medical The American to “the of the American medical organization were to of the Women's that and aimed to use wartime medical to the cause of from that was in that for for the of the to up their hospitals the to use the as for women physicians to work for the By of physicians serving with the were many of with the was the woman physicians from Connecticut served in this was in in from and from the Medical of in early as a medical in which in the United States entered the war in 1917, over a at the New that had held by a male physician was into the In for services as a and at in for which the for and devotion from the of with the the inequality by medical women in the United States. from Medical of in and did an at the Connecticut for the Connecticut serving as a In was to be the at the where by male Although with a Connecticut in April 1918 to work as a for the American at in The had a one from the in that the and the other women physicians, did women receive from American status not In a to a in the the of American women physicians serving in are not have Although men were as at men were not so had a Medical Corps made of and that the not have the for The the women physicians for and women in and for for the women. and the women will to come without they will be to to years war this in an by Medical of in during World War was there was the between and the was Women physicians served for the had their professional and the United States and were in of medical In the the to up with women physicians to provide medical care to and members of the military without to themselves the of men from the The also with the American Committee for a organization created by and the of The to provide medical and services for the by Emily Dunning Barringer the with a for women physicians and at the in New York The of women society and of President from the to the to the in the and an in of the work as the in the United a the of The MWNA a woman from each state to of the The in of for Connecticut was from in the state of Connecticut for up by was in the of in to a in the of a The was and by women physicians, and the physicians and at had Connecticut The was the other were and were at the Connecticut for the Connecticut to for the and were of the second of physicians, and to the were of the Medical of was of the Committee for Service and to to war had served as the physician for students at Connecticut medical care to students was a for women physicians at this In to work in one of the hospitals, and was in of the of In of Connecticut President that with and of many years in the and of and that has be a in of which may be a up to this to came in with in a of to work of the long was in The an and that of and This crisis as from the physicians and and to up also medical care for in the In a to the of the “The are as there are so many of men and that are the of the also the of the physicians to medical care “The other had a for a that had of at one of there are and not a the was in a with a five and one the had to bring a into the of for the was had years physicians and of from local woman the as of and the of the from a According to an article in the the so that local on taken to their The of declared, of the American the work of have come to so to at the of with the of which of made an work of and devotion which will In April the physicians, and of the and the from the an to the of In a to the did not the the from were by the local physicians from the were not to that American taken over their of these male physicians the of long American women were to the out of the This the in an they had made an with the American Committee for to hospitals at least In to the of physicians in the to the of in April the the over to the American Committee for to be by physicians. of the from on to work in hospitals in from to in the United to that was the of would not care to through women physicians from Connecticut and served made a on medical women remained that the medical women work are not work are the medical women of the United States on the of the as Although women had for had in that time that was as great a in the of women in as work by of medical women during and the of in the United States a of to have in this great work of the war did not the cause of women physicians to serve their in the As Kimberly Jensen the military was a women as in this of would over the to as as to Women physicians remained to a to the effort with their says Jensen, they did so in a on of other the women of as they created all-female and work Although this strategy medical women recognition, also a separate for women in women over to a strategy to their to work within a niche for to integrate with men on an could be on the in By the of the war women had a measure of within the especially at the local women in local hospitals and in and had of their medical had served as second of the Connecticut Medical an with women were from with male extent did women wartime on the in Connecticut the cause of women of the women physicians in the Committee of the Connecticut of to use to out the of the Medical Women's National Association and American Women's By and Connecticut's women to the military to to serve as physicians in the on an with on a strategy of which was in However, as with male and with women were not physicians to work was not at involved in the medical was in to the of social in and military and in to the of a number of to this work and the of male physicians. activities of the of did not for women physicians as a activities within the other than military were the of the Connecticut of in April by as the state of the of National were many other to war activities in the the and of the as and have the was in other and to with the The members of the Committee of the were as were the physicians on the and Committee which and so many had the to in the war the of National with the of President a Connecticut of the Committee was created in 1917, not by the of the For each the Committee a was to a meeting of the of organizations and also could at this meeting a state of the Committee would be In of of the of Women's of held a in on June in to the Connecticut a and of in was as and were the physicians on the Committee of the Connecticut and they offered a was a Yale The were were by their prominent The of the the are in the Connecticut and are a of on war a of Medical of in was a leading of the MWNA and later the state for and for had in since to the state to a of at that women physicians to to their in to with While the Connecticut was separate from the was of the on Medical an not in the organization in many state to more to the War Service Committee of of activities as a of the Connecticut was to and by the of resolution for to women physicians to serve in the The resolution was by the Connecticut and on to the on by was in the of the of in 1917, and also in Connecticut of New a of the MWNA War was with the Connecticut resolution and with that to to women was to to in Connecticut a by to care for had to in the United States. was the in by the war in 1915. by this women on were from the in was for women physicians in Great to up hospitals in than was for women physicians in the United States. The war was the the was greater and and the did not in the as did in the United States. to the had a military in and their The of women physicians in as as in was to that women could care for as as men within the of to on with of Service for and with of the War Service Committee of the National Medical as to the for Connecticut medical women to in for their have made a from the of and New which will with this to women physicians to of was on the for hospitals, and local of for the for in the as was for a small by of New in which would be held by women. of would serve as of would be in of and of would be in of and of would and In women were women physicians, for social a and a to on the that one the a on the not from a and the for the In that could many may be to a of a for the over the of the was in New which could and could have more in a on the offered the had for a in and the also held out for a which could had to a from the of the which This was at at the meeting and was to organization that of the activities be taken up without with the of the in this in with the of with the and that be in the of this without this The that there be and of of a in the this may During on with the in that was not able to a that would the of on from good relations with the of the and with in they could not the without military 1917, the was on in a to a to the of the Medical of the in to hospitals for in the The from was a by the for a of offered to be on In a with “The for a for has to a from the of the for a separate in Connecticut was in were few women physicians in the state to and many women physicians were with men in their local was involved in the of By World War separate medical were in The Medical of was the medical to Yale School of had women in was for a in Connecticut by women to a in 1917, the more of wartime activities by the Connecticut a the the Committee on The of the Connecticut as and to the the of these were also made members of of the and members of the Committee on and The women from this by state a and on However, men were in of the Committee had to through the to use as a for Connecticut women physicians to war was for women to be as and the to the to women physicians, in the state which had women for in one of members on each Committee and also to serve on each The women would also serve as a state for As state for American Women's and and made through war to this to a good held a meeting at the in with a war for women by the As noted of the War Service Committee of was as a at the at the the of the and meeting was attended by of the and five women an of mostly to women and the for for war care for of and a to the for more in the for and medical an from had to a to work of the meeting was in the Connecticut that women in the state would the meeting of in five women attended the meeting at in New to of the as this medical were few that up one to to by the War in not and work also of the work of other has to the The five women and on to women and the work that women with small could students and had to their up the to the they could to the with the for a to of the women on of women to for at during the war and through American Women's will in the greater of the of women physicians, in hospitals and that services be accepted by and military as have the services of the medical woman in the state to of other work in to the meeting in April at which the would be the women were one of of had to in April 1918 from into an and had to as as of women was to war as a attended the meetings of the of the had to many of the in to be with the the Committee to and would be the of the work that was to be out would be the there was a of the the woman the would be on The for the of Committee on Medical Service as of the of this are the of the and be by that organization and other are out by other of the as on the Committee to work for was more in work had a of to the in was a in the of at and a of through the of at Yale a in the to the of into the more of work on the for women. was in the of in was especially in to of was to the Committee of the Committee in in to activities of schools, and to and and held a long with of the United States as an opportunity to encourage the of more especially in the of the As a and to out a of the using the of the Committee to and a they that the of had this for a of to that was a state of of work the of and the and of Yale were ahead without of in Connecticut was through the of by in of the of to the of a on the for and had the Committee a resolution the of to an and the did not in that has up to not the not could the This in 1918 with the of the in with the Committee of the National of to April 1918 to April The Committee state the of by five would This from and the Committee on the of and the had come to an with the of that had to leadership to a meeting was held in at Yale to the Committee on of and a of the state of the work to the and remained of the Committee on as men of at were to the of in in the on to and the to over Connecticut a for for the was the As was to in The of an from the state and a was to be The Committee a of the to The of the Committee in an on the of women in that had to made the for the and to come to a in each for the and five were and and were to The a by a woman and a with the to in was to the 1918 The Committee emphasized the for more to the in the of a of as of the state and as of the of While women in this wartime for and in for were as compared to male and women and each other had very was a of a medical in to and and to to and to was not to in and was not a of medical served as of the Connecticut Society of was a by made of the Committee on and of the At the of the of War to the of in from and from in were to be from in to the of the gave of this work to the Committee on and with the that the activities would a of the The Committee on and with of the the and the and as the state the state other the on the of and of the and later the Committee on and of women had the time to and a of in the Connecticut The were to the in New and and women and other that be emphasized that a had to be for a to be taken into The of for for in and for and they were to be with activities that would the war also for This was work for and women and the Committee on and and were to have out by the of In to the of the for In on the a of and men to a for The of as of the social was for the In the for Women was to the state for women. was an of the the of the and a was held at the in at which the of the of the of the Committee on and and made a with to the of was held by on on the remained on the had the time to to the and was able to with and with men in status did not women women on a of war work in their male to that were at women and women served on the Service a was the woman to serve on local which and and served on their Medical which medical from local the of the local Medical Society to a for the of with male in to local for the care of of and gave at war and for women to up to a First for the members of especially and women on the of military for the Connecticut in of a for using women in of these activities served to the status of women in the However, women physicians in Connecticut did not as a in a as to the status of women would for women physicians to to receive the status in the military that they At the of the World women physicians to for medical women in the Medical by American Medical Women's Association President Emily Dunning medical women and their and the of from a on their Barringer and not be the of medical women were for military In April President the into women physicians to receive in the for the of the war six